Acting On Temptation (Temptations) (20 page)

             
She storms down the hall and I turn around to see Russ and my Dad standing there.  Both of them take me up and hug me.  I look up to my Dad, “Don’t let her come to anything for us again.  I don’t ever want to see her.  I don’t care if she did give birth to us.”  My Dad nods that he understands.

             
Daria walks out of the hospital room, “Anna you wanna go grab some coffee? They said you haven’t left this room?”

             
I nod, “Yeah lets go.”

             
When we get downstairs to the coffee shop I look over at her, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Cade or is it going to be top secret?”

             
She looks at me with tears brimming in her eyes, “We decided that once we get back to school we are taking a break.  Neither of us are moving out of the house, but Cade is going to talk to Russ about staying in his room.”

             
“What brought all of this on?”

             
She takes a sip of her coffee, “My real Dad came to visit at Christmas. Before I’d had a chance to tell Cade about him or any of the other stuff.  So he was upset. He felt like I’d lied to him. He wanted to know the answers to a bunch of questions like why I use my step-father’s last name.  When I told him I couldn’t share all of that with him, that it was too much right now. He said it was like I didn’t trust him and he couldn’t be in a relationship with someone who didn’t trust him.”

             
“What?”

             
She shakes her head, “I tried to explain that a lot of it was painful memories that I didn’t want to share or burden him with.  He just couldn’t understand, so he was about to leave and then your phone call came.”

             
I shake my head, “Oh my gosh, well maybe with some time he’ll start to understand.”

             
She shakes her head wiping tears from her face, “No, he said until I’m ready to share my complete past he can’t be with me.”

             
“That asshole.  I love Cade but why does he have to be so cut and dry about things?”

             
Shaking her head, “I don’t know but I don’t want to talk about it anymore, I just can’t, it breaks me every time.  So you’re going to be an Aunt huh?”

             
I nod, “Yep sometime at the end of June first of July I guess.”  With that we walk back to Gabby’s room.

Chapter 36

Russ

After Daria and Anna come back in the room I ask Cade to go with me to grab a Coke or something.   Once we get out in the hall I look at him, “Okay are you going to tell me what is going on with you and Daria?  She’s been crying, you looked all pissed and crabby.”

He sighs, “You remember how I told you I thought she was hiding something.  Well she was, hell she still is and she won’t talk to me about it.  So we are taking a break, I can’t be with someone who keeps secrets from me.  I was going to ask you anyway if I can move into your room at the house since you stay with Anna most of the time anyway.”

I nod, “Yeah sure man, I really hope you guys get things worked out though.”

              He nods and keeps walking to the nearest drink machine.

“Cade man, Are you sure I mean really sure that it is important enough to split up over?”

He nods, “Yeah, man when you’ve been with someone close to two years and you find out they aren’t who they say they are.  That the last name they use isn’t really their last name and that they have a real dad that you knew nothing about.  Yeah until she wants to come completely clean to me, I can’t be with her.  I’m also pissed with Anna.”

“Why are you pissed with Anna?”

“Because apparently she knew about part of this shit and didn’t tell me.”

             
I drop my eyes, “She did?”

             
“Yeah, I told you those two were hiding something after their “meeting” with Skylar.  Well Daria told me that Anna was the only person who knew that she had another Dad and that she doesn’t use her real last name.  But hell I think that’s really all Anna knows too.”

I
grab his shoulder, “Man I understand why you’re upset, but if she keeps it this hidden it must be important.  Daria doesn’t strike me as the type to do this shit just to screw with people’s heads.  Did she give you a reason why she wouldn’t share?”

“She said that it was still too painful and that she’d came to college to start over.”

I nod, “Well, I still think you shouldn’t rush into anything.  Give her some time.  This can’t be easy for her, I mean if she’s trying to start over and using a different name…it must be some pretty serious shit.”

He shakes his head, “Yeah, well being in a relationship that’s committed like ours was, you are supposed to be able to trust your partner with everything…I’m beginning to think she doesn’t trust me with anything.”

I pat him on the shoulder knowing that there isn’t much more I can say.  We walk back to Linc and Gabby’s hospital room.  Once we are back inside Anna and Gabby fill them in on the events that happened at home.  Daria and Anna talk about wedding stuff with Gabby.  It looks like they’ll be getting married sooner than expected because Linc and Gabby both want to be married when the baby comes. 
Wow when the baby comes
...

“Russ.  Russ.  Do you hear
me?”

I look at Anna, “Huh I’m sorry, I spaced out a little.”

She nods, “Yeah, I was saying why don’t we go across the street to the hotel and get some rest and a shower.  Daria is going to stay here until the family gets back and Cade is going to get Gabby some
Waffle House.
”

I laugh, “Waffle House really Gab?”

She looks at me like I just said the craziest thing on earth, “What?  Now I understand why I haven’t been able to get enough to eat lately and why I’ve gained so much damn weight.  I’m tired of this nasty ass hospital food; I want some good greasy food.  I want some damn hash browns.”

Linc looks over at her, “Baby you have not gained weight.”

She looks at him, “Linc I couldn’t hardly button my pants and my boobs are spilling out of my bra.  I’ve gained weight.”

He shakes his head, “Baby you won’t ever hear me complain about your boobs getting bigger.”

She throws a box of tissues at him, “Shut up.  Cade go get my damn food.”

We all look at each other like ‘
okay that’s what they say about pregnancy hormones.’

I look at Anna, “Yeah Sweetie going to get some rest and a shower sounds great.”

We walk out into the hall and all start chuckling.  I look over at Cade and Anna, “Holy shit.  Did her head just spin around in there?”

Anna laughs, “It wasn’t that bad, you’ve just never been around her when she gets moody or her hormones are out of whack.”

Cade nods, “Yeah, when we were younger before they put her on birth control and her hormones were all off balance.  She was crazy.  Like certifiable.  Anna and I walked on egg shells everyday.  She was either pissed off or crying all the time.”

Anna nods her head, “True story.  That scar on Cade’s hair line is from a phone she threw at him, during one of her rages.  Then she cried about it for two hours.  I was so damn glad when my parents took her to the doctor and she went on pills I didn’t know what to do.”

I look at Cade, “Dude what the hell did you do to have her throw a phone at you?”

He looks for a minute like he’s thinking, “Oh, I left her toilet seat up and she fell in.  She came
out mad as hell, with a wet ass. When I started laughing she threw a phone at me and called me an inconsiderate asshole.  Then when my Mom had to take me to go get a few stitches for it she cried and called me all the time to check on me.”

I laugh as we approach the parking lot, “Wow.”

Cade looks at us, “Okay, well I’m gonna go get her food before she cuts my balls off or something.  You guys go get some rest.  You look like shit.”

Anna scoffs, “Well, thanks I love you too.”

Cade rolls his eyes and walks to his car.

Anna

Walking into our hotel room, I think my body finally caught up with me from the past few days.  I fall across the bed and Russ falls beside me.  He brushes my hair back from my face, “We should really get a
bath.”

I mumble into the bed, “Yeah, you go ahead and get started I’ll be in there in a minute.”

He chuckles, “Yeah, if I get in there and wait on you I’ll be waiting awhile.”  He pulls on my arm to roll me over, “Come on I’ll help you.”

I reluctantly drag myself up off the bed and start trying to peel my clothes off.  Russ draws us a warm bath.  “Come on Sweetie, you need to get in here and relax.  You are the only person who hasn’t left that hospital.”

I climb over in the tub with him as he sits behind me so he can wash my hair and body.  He takes his time rubbing the knots out of my shoulders.  “Mmm.  That feels so good, if I had more energy right now mister I’d jump your bones.  But right now you’ll have to settle for an IOU.”

He chuckles, “Oh I’m sure I can just add it to the list.”

I halfway bat my hand, “Whatever.  Oh when is Mary planning the service for Marshall?”

“My Mom said something about the first of next week.  He’s being buried in a private cemetery, so it’s not going to be a big funeral.  Just her family, us and their kids.”

I nod, “Okay well remind me I have to go shopping for Gabby and I.”

He keeps rubbing my shoulders and I don’t even realize I dose off until I feel him lay me on the bed.

“Go to sleep Sweetie, I’ll wake you in a little bit and we’ll go sit down and have an actual meal somewhere.”

I nod, roll over and dose back off to sleep. 

             
***

The last few days have been filled with the hospital, family and funeral.  The doctor released Gabby and Linc, Linc has to set up some follow up appointments with a doctor closer by.  Gabby has to find an OBGYN.  But we are all supposed to head back to school tomorrow after Linc and Russ meet with the lawyer.  They
were told they needed to be at the reading of Marshall’s will.

Russ and I decided to stay at Linc’s house to help out.  Also it would keep Mary’s mind a little more occupied. 

Daria, Gabby, Mary, Amy, Rand, Vivy and I all sit around the dining room table to start planning Gabby’s wedding. 

Mary looks at Gabby and I, “So do you guys have a church back home that
Gabby and Linc’s wedding should be in?”

Gabby shakes her head, “No I was thinking we could just get married here.  I mean, our parents are split up, and there isn’t really anyone from there I’d want to come
anyway.  My Dad and Cade’s Mom Lydia will drive up and I could care less if my Mom comes or not.  After the things she’s said and done to us, I can’t get past it right now.”

Rand
speaks up, “I understand.  Are you sure though that you don’t want to least send your Mom and invitation?  I mean sometimes we have to be the bigger person.”

I see tears in everyone’s eyes and I know they are thinking about
Marshall and all of the apologies he gave out not long before he died.

I put my hand on Gabby’s, “Hey big sis, I say we have the wedding here.  Send our Mother an invitation and then the ball is in her court.”

Gabby nods, “I know, I know.  Okay I’ll send her an invitation.”

Mary gives us a great big smile, “Oh girls that’s wonderful!”

I look over at Rand and Vivy, “Okay, so what would be a nice place to have a simple wedding like Gabby and Linc want here.”

Their eyes light up, “Oh we could use the club.”

Gabby shakes her head, “Linc said NO to the club already.  He really wants a small outdoor wedding with a nice reception.  I mean I’ll be around seven months pregnant then.  So I kinda want simple and low key myself.”

The girls nod and Rand’s eyes light up, “Hey what about out at
Fort Lenwood Lake, you know they have that gorgeous gazebo and pavilion, it’ll be April so it shouldn’t be too hot.”

Gabby’s eyes light up, “That
sounds like it would be perfect.”

Mary smiles, “Okay, we’ve got a place now on to everything else.”

About that time the doorbell rings, Vivy hops up” I’ll get it.”

We hear Vivy from the kitchen, “What are you doing here?  You both need to leave.”

We all stand up and walk into the living room.  I don’t recognize the girls standing in there that Vivy is obviously pissed with.  I look over and see that anger in Mary, Amy, Rand and Gabby’s face.  I look over to Daria like ‘oh shit who are these bitches’ she gives me the ‘I know right nod’.

Gabby steps forward, “
Amy, Rand would you please take Mary to get some coffee?”

She nods and walks out of the room as Gabby speaks, “Jules you and whoever this is with you need to go.  You don’t need to be upsetting Mary right now.”